Sailor in Iconic WWII Kissing Photo Dies at 86

Mashable ^ | March 14, 2014 | Staff

[lbryce]

Glenn McDuffie was 18 years old the day World War II ended. Having just exited a New York subway station at Times Square, McDuffie, a sailor, heard the news, grabbed a nurse and kissed her. Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured the the moment, which became synonymous with V-J day—August 14, 1945.

McDuffie died March 9 in Dallas. He was 86 years old, according to the Associated Press.

[lbryce]

Eisenstaedt never asked the nurse or sailor for their names, and the iconic image had unidentified subjects for years. In 1980, Los Angeles schoolteacher Edith Shain reached out to Life magazine to claim she was the woman in the photo. Eisenstaedt flew out to meet her and confirmed the she was the iconic nurse. A number of men claimed to be the sailor, but McDuffie's account was confirmed in 2007 by a forensic specialist.

McDuffie went on to be a semi-professional basketball player and worked as a mail carrier. He will be buried at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, the AP reported.

[lightman]

Ping for your “burial at sea” photo.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

This is about the third one of them that has died in the past few years, isn't it?

[the OlLine Rebel]

OK, at 18 in August, just how long had he been in service? And did he ever get out of US at all?

God bless.

[Drawsing]

Just read a story where he forged papers and joined when he was 15.

[Repeal The 17th]

My Uncle Leo lied about his age and joined the navy
at age of 16 in 1925 and served for 30 years, retiring in 1955.

(RIP Uncle Leo, I still miss ya’, and I’ll see ya’ soon!)

[Freestate316]

This iconic photo always makes me remember the classic photoshop of John Kerry kissing his wife. It was created by Dead, and is hilarious!

[LucyT]

.

Met a old guy in Idaho who claimed he was the Sailor in the kissing photo.

Perhaps there were dozens of Sailors who kissed Nurses that day, and in retrospect, all of them thought they were the man in the photo.

.

[Antoninus II]

Met a old guy in Idaho who claimed he was the Sailor in the kissing photo. Perhaps there were dozens of Sailors who kissed Nurses that day, and in retrospect, all of them thought they were the man in the photo.

That's a stretch...

[Vendome]

Lucky Bastuhd...

Rest in Peace, Good Man...

[CurlyDave]

If he did it today he would be charged with sexual harassment...

[workerbee]

IIRC, there was a big stink brought up few years ago about this photo, how it was an example of date rape, harrassment, somesuch... I don’t know, exactly. Mostly I think “you had to be there.”

[Jane Long]

Having just exited a New York subway station at Times Square, McDuffie, a sailor, heard the news, grabbed a nurse and kissed her.

*****************

Back when NYC was full of patriots who were proud of our military and the USofA.

[First_Salute]

The girl just above the "kissing sailor's" right elbow, is the sailor's future wife, Rita Petrie.

The sailor, George Mendonca, and Rita, had just exited a movie theatre upon hearing the news of the war's end.

There were several other kisses - between guys (service members) and gals - and there were 2 photographers present, U.S. Navy photographer, Victor Jorgensen, and contract photographer, Alfred Eisenstaedt. Each man took photographs of the scene.

Alfred Eisenstaedt later recalled seeing a sailor kissing several women, but Eisenstaedt had turned away from that observation/perspective for a bit ... and when he turned back, he saw George Mendonca grab and kiss the nurse (see note/link below).

The fact that Rita [later to be Mrs. Mendonca] is in the picture, tends to challenge the other sailor candidates.

Mendonca has sometimes been spelled Mendonsa.

CBS New story about the couple; 2012

[First_Salute]

I should have added to my reply (14) above, "is another possibility."